Discharge chute for storage bins



July 12, 1932.

W: B. MERCER DISCHARGE CHUTE FOR STORAGE BINS Filed Jan. 14, 1952 mvENTon Wjrc'er I BY ATTQNEY Patented July 12, 1932` UNITED STATES PATENT orner.

WILLIAM B. MERCER, OF BINGHAIVITON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GIFFORD-WOOD COM- PANY, OF HUDSON, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK DISCHARGE CHUTE FOR STORAGE .'BINS Application led January 14, 1932. Serial No. 586,683.

This invention relates to chutes for storage bins and aims, among other objects, to pro- Y vide an improved chute construction which prevents segregation of the various sizes of material immediately before discharge by a remiXing of the material, during discharge, and which also minimizes the breakage of material in the bin due to the mass above bearing down against the bottom layers of material.

In the drawing, showing a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a storage bin and showing the improved discharge chute;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken at right angles to Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of one of the control gates employed in the chute; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

In the handling of materials such as coal and coke, it is generally desirable to elevate them into storage bins for quick loading by gravity into cars or trucks. In a mass of coal or the like, especially soft coal, there are lumps of various sizes and it is a well known fact that when filling the bins, the smaller sizes and fines are deposited in the center, while the larger and heavier lumps roll to the outside. As the material is usually withdrawn through chutes at the sides of the bin, the larger sizes are withdrawn first.

Hence, the customers get coal of different sizes at different times rather than a uniform mixture. Also, when drawing coal from a bin, the whole mass bearing down against the coal at' the bottom causes breakage due to a crushing and grinding action arising from the pressure and movement of material toward the outlets. As coal is always screened to eliminate dust before being loaded into the trucks, it follows that a certain part of the original mass is lost due to vthis crushing and grinding action; and the per cent of loss of salable coal, is a direct loss in prots. According to the present invention, the construction is such as to cause the material to be thoroughly mixed and atv the same time breakage during discharge is reduced to an extremely low figure.

Referring particularly to the drawing, the.

invention is there shown in connection with a single silo or bin, which is illustrative of a commercial installation including many such silos. The material is conveyed over the silo 10 and then discharged or deposited therein by any well known conveyor means.' In the present instance, the coal or other material is conveyed by buckets 11 of an endless conveyor through a trough 12 and discharged through an opening 18 into a curved chute 14 which carries the coal to a spiral lowering chute 15. The spiral chute is arranged coaxial with the silo l0 and the coal slides by gravity to the bottom, without breakage,

gradually filling the silo. The bottom 16 of the silo usually slopesl downwardly in opposite directions from a central ridge 17 so as to direct the coal to openings 18 which are located at the lower ends of the sloping surfaces and at opposite sides of the silo and which lead to discharge chutes 19. The height of the bottom from the ground is preferably such .as to permit wagons or trucks to drive under the lower ends of the chutes 19 so as to be loaded entirely by gravity.

To preventbreakage and to miX the coal as it is withdrawn, a floor 2O is provided which extends between opposite sides of the silo above the ridge 17 and transversely thereof. The VHoor. 2O is relatively narrow in width, being slightly wider than the openings 19, and is supported by spaced vertical walls 21 extending between the floor and the bottom 16. The bottom ofthe spiralchute 15 rests on the floor and several openings 22'are provided in the floor to permit coalito How into the compartment formed by the bottom 16, the floor 20 and walls 21. Herein, there are three openings 22, one being central above the ridge and one on each side adjacent to the central opening. Vhen the silo is being filled, the 'coal first iiows through the openf a small amount of coal is first withdrawn from the center, causing'thetop of thev pile to assume an inverted cone shape. The larger pieces of coal then roll to the center from the outside edge and mix with the smaller piecesso that equal proportions oflarge and smalll sizes may then be withdrawn.

'In' order to obtain-.the coalfwhich is left on each side of the compartment after the coal has reached thefloor level, openings 23 are provided in each Vwall adjacent to the lower ends of the bottom 16. The openings are controlled by gates 24 ywhich may be opened so that the coal may flow into the compartment at each end` and be withdrawn through the chutes 19.Y The gates are shown as being slidably mounted inside the com` partment in guides 25 and eachhas a vertical rack 26 securedv thereto. A 'transverse shaft 27, mounted in suitable'bearings, is provided for each gate andzhas a pinion 28 thereon engaging with the rack-26. Each shaft has one end extending outside of the silo so that a wheel29 maybe'secured thereto to turn the shaft. Any suitable means may be used to operate the wheel such as a chain 30. Thus, practically all of the coal in the silo may be withdrawn'. 'Ihevloss due to breakage willbe materially reduced and the customers willbe assuredrof thoroughly mixed coal. The preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawinggbut within the scopeof the appended claims many different structures may be built which will have' at least some of the advantages of the preferred form. One exampleof a less desirable structurewvouldbe a silo with al chute at the bottom having no openings either in` its top or in its sides, only an inlet and an outlet at its opposite ends, the inlet being'spaced. from the center of the silo. Such a constructionY would diminish breakage but wouldv not affect the very desirable remixing which the preferred forml will accomplish. f

c Obviously, the presentV invention may be employed wherever heavy fluent materials composed of particles of relatively fine and coarse sizes are stored for subsequent use; its field of usefulness is much wider than the coal yard.

0bviously, the present invention is not restricted tothe particular .embodiment thereof herein shown and described. Moreover, it is not indispensable that all the features of the invention be used conjointly since they may be employed advantageously in various combinations and subcombinations.

What I claim is 1. In combination with a silo having a 5 adjacent the upper edge of the floor; spaced l side Vwalls extendingbet-ween the -floorfan'd the bottom; and gate-controlled openings in the walls adjacent to the lower edgeA of the bottom. Y

2. In combination with a silo, an elongated closed compartment extending betweenI opposite walls of the bin near the bottom thereof, said compartment having a top side walls andbottom, saidbottom .being inclined downwardly from its mid portion to the sides of the bin; said top having openings therethrough in its mid port-ion; said silo-having a discharge .opening in the walls thereof at the ends of the compartment; and a .discharge spout for each opening. 3. In combination with a silo, a bottom in the silo inclined downwardly in oppositedi.- rections from the mid portion thereof to the walls of the silo; the walls of said silo-having dischargeV openings therein at the lower ends of the bottom; a discharge spoutfor each opening; a relatively narrow floor extending above the bottom and between the opposite walls of the silo in which the openings are located; ysaid floor having openings therethrough; and'spaced'vertical walls extending between the floor and the bottom.

4:. In combination-with a silo, a. bottom in the silo inclined downwardly in opposite directions from the mid portion thereof to the walls-of the silo; the walls of said silo having discharge openings-therein at the lower-ends of the bottomgka discharge spoutV for each opening; a relatively narrow floor extending above the bottom and between the opposite walls of the silo in which` the openings are located; said' floor having openings therethrough; and spaced vertical walls extending between the floor and the bottom, said vertical walls having openings therethrough near the lower ends thereof; and a gate for controlling each openingin the vertical walls.

5. In combination with a silo, a bottom in the silo inclined downwardly in opposite directions from the mid portion thereof to the walls of the silo; the wall-s of said silo having discharge 'openings therein at the lower ends of the bottom; a discharge spout` for each opening; a relatively narow fioor extending above the bottom yand between the opposite walls of the silo in which the openings are located; said Hoor having openings therethrough; spaced vertical walls extending between the ioor and the bottom, said vertical walls having openings therethrough near the lower ends thereof; agate slidably mounted to close each opening in the vertical walls; a vertical rack on each gate; a horizontal shaft for each gate; a pinion on the shaft engageable with the rack; one end of each shaft extending outside of the silo; and means on the extended end of each shaft to rotate the same to open and close the gate.

6. In combination with a silo having a horizontal bottom wall with openings; said bottom wall covering only part of the total area of the silo at the bottom; a discharge chute below the bottom wall, said discharge chute comprising an inwardly and downwardly sloping wall and a vertical wall; said vertical wall extending from and -ioined onto said bottom wall; an opening in the vertical wall for discharge of the material; and an operator-controlled gate for said opening.

7. In combination with asilo, a chute having a top and two side walls ext-ending transversely of the silo at the bottom; the chute having an inlet opening in one of its side wals and a discharge opening at the outer en 8. In combination with a silo, a chute having a top and two side walls extending transversely of the silo at the bottom; the chute having an inlet opening in one of its side walls and also in the top wall and a discharge opening at the outer end; and a spiral gravity chute in the silo ldirectly above the inlet opening` in the top of the chute.

9. In combination with a silo, a. discharge chute wholly enclosed by the silo and discharging through a side wall of the silo at the bottom; said discharge chute having small inlet openings at the top and at the sides also.

10. In combination with a silo, a discharge chute at the bottom of the silo having a top and two vertical side walls which are generally radial with respect to the silo, and a downwardly sloping bottom, so as to direct the material outwardly; said chute having an inlet opening spaced from the center of the silo and an outlet at the outer wall of the silo and below the inlet.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own. I have hereto atIiXed mv signature.

WILLIAM B. BIERCER. 

